Stick It To The Convenant: Halo Spartan Strike Out Now

Ask me to name a game in which I particularly like the guns, and I'll look panicky for a moment, presuming you want me to confidently say the M-something upgraded with the thingamy-ma-death something from Call of Duty something, then intone something about recoil. I presume you will kill me with an actual gun if I fail to do this, what with your clearly caring an awful lot about guns. If my ers and ums don't result in my sudden death, I'll regain my composure after a few seconds and say 'Halo, I guess. Like, everything has a purpose, and everything works particularly well in tandem with a different weapon type, and it all feels like a real strategy and a real choice, even though it's all made up.'

This is why I've played every Halo game even when their self-fellating space magic nonsense-plots made me want to scream (hello, 2 and 3). This is why is why I thought 'ooh, that'll do' when I saw twin-stick spin-off Spartan Strike was out today.

The top-down twin-stick shooter was due out last December, but has only just hit Steam and the sad wasteland that is the Windows 8 store, as well as assorted iThings. I had a quick look at the first level this morning, and while clearly it's a far cry from what we really want, which is the recent Xbox One re-release that Microsoft bewilderingly didn't call The Remaster Chief Collection, so far it feels good.

Those familiar, strategic weapons and enemy types are there, it looks like the New Mombasa bit from Halo 2, and despite the top-down camera and teeny tiny people, it feels pretty damned Halo-y. Naturally it's front-loaded with self-fellating space magic nonsense-plot, but I skipped all that and got straight to the shooting. It's pretty pretty too.

Only a fiver, but I can't yet tell you how long it lasts. I'll play a bit more and update you with any Important Facts if and when they arise.